By Noel Punzalan and Edwin Fernandez/PNA
CAMP SIONGCO, Maguindanao — Some 300 communist rebels and their mass base supporters surrendered and pledged allegiance to the Philippine flag during separate symbolic events in the villages of Kinarum and Bangkal in Magpet, North Cotabato, the past two days, the military here said Sunday.
Lt. Col. Ehrlich Noel Paraso, commander of the army’s 19th Infantry Battalion (IB), said two surrender rites were conducted on Friday and Saturday for 300 men, composed of farmers and members of the New People’s Army (NPA) and members of Unit Militia, the unarmed NPA mass base.
The Unit Militia also denounced the rebel group for forced taxation and tipped off military authorities about their presence.
“We are being used as milking cows by the NPAs,” a resident of Barangay Kinarum, who requested anonymity, said in a radio interview. “At first they were good to us, providing us aid in farming but later they started demanding money and agricultural products.”
In a separate interview, Ka Ben, one of the NPAs operating in the slope of Mt. Apo for 15 years, told reporters he decided to surrender because of the rebels’ empty promises.
“Tam-is kayo sila og promise sa amo (They have sweet words for us) but later they were using us to raise money through extortion against multi-national companies like a banana plantation and business establishments in Magpet and in Kidapawan City,” Ka Ben said.
1Lt. Prolen Bonacua, commanding officer of the Alpha Company of 19th IB, said the rebels will be covered under the government’s “Balik-Loob” Program.
Paraso said the Army is now processing the surrenderers, so they can be qualified for the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP).
The E-CLIP aims to reintegrate the rebels to mainstream society by providing them livelihood in exchange for their surrendered firearms. Local officials of Barangays Bangkal and Kinarum, both of Magpet, also passed two resolutions declaring communist rebels and militant organizations as “persona non grata” in their respective areas.
Paraso said the village officials declared in their resolutions that they no longer want the NPAs and progressive groups supporting the NPAs to come to their villages.
The Army official said residents of the two villages have been complaining of forced taxation by NPAs, who are not from the village but from nearby towns of Bukidnon and the mountains of Davao City.
Separate village resolutions were also passed requesting the Army’s 19th IB to issue the guns surrendered by the NPAs to Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team (BPAT) members which they can use to protect villagers from rebel harassment and other crimes.
“The matter has been forwarded to the Department of National Defense legal department for appropriate action,” Paraso said.
The Magpet villages’ declaration of persona non grata for NPAs came at least 13 days after some 500 residents of Barangay Datu Ladayon, Arakan, North Cotabato declared the NPAs “unwelcome” in their community.
That time, the villagers of Barangay Datu Ladayon also paraded around their community, holding banners denouncing NPA atrocities.
“With this declaration from the mass base of Barangay Datu Ladayon, it will certainly give the NPAs to touch base again in the Arakan Valley Complex,” Paraso said.
Arakan Councilors Josie Nasiluan and Romulo Tapgos, who represented Arakan Mayor Rene Rubino during the event, commended the local officials and residents of Barangay Datu Ladayon for the initiative as they vowed to pass a town ordinance supporting the peoples’ declaration.
